Moses and his daughters Anak (R) and Aguil (L) along with sons
Dut (R) and Akeen (L) stop for a photo on Minto Street during the
construction of their new home in July, 2008. The eBuilder
Issue 4, 2008

Habitat Family Bio: Moses A.


We will all face various challenges during our lives―whether they be the death of a spouse to financial hardship to relocating our household. But what would happen if you had to face all of them in a short period of time as well as being singly responsible for five children? Many among us wouldn’t have the personal strength to dig deep and overcome the obstacles. Some would throw their hands up in despair and let the challenges defeat them and their family, but Moses A. chose another path―perseverance and triumph.

Moses, a widower, along with his four children and a younger brother, arrived in Canada from Sudan in 2004 and set about rebuilding their life in Winnipeg. Employed as a teacher in the Sudan, Moses knew he wanted to continue working in education and quickly found work as a teacher’s aide, but even with fulltime employment, his salary came nowhere near the income needed to sustain a family of six in one of Winnipeg’s suburban neighbourhoods. Moses found a central Winnipeg apartment with three bedrooms and moved his family in.

Moses quickly learned that the neighbourhood was full of negative influences and was constantly on alert for gangs and drug dealers looking to recruit his children and brother. To help keep his kids out of trouble, Moses signed them up for programs with the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg as well as becoming heavily involved with Winnipeg’s Sudanese Parent Council.

In addition to the neighbourhood challenges Moses faces, the apartment itself isn’t adequate for his young family. With only one bathroom, there is often a line-up during the morning and quiet space for studying doesn’t exist. The family’s aged computer is located in a storage closet.

After being accepted into partnership with Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg, Moses tackled his sweat equity requirement with gusto and eagerly contributed 100 hours of hands-on time to the construction of his new Minto Street home. Moses and his family will take possession of their new 1200-square-foot side-by-side in late January, 2009. The new home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms and with a semi-finished basement, space for homework won’t be an issue.

When life’s next challenge comes your way, stop a moment and think about Moses and the challenges he’s persevered through and how wonderfully he has triumphed over them! Guaranteed you will find some inspiration from his success.